Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for moving, in particular, for transporting, a printing plate into an exposure device (recorder) for printing plates, and after exposure, out of the exposure device, and preferably into a development device (processor). The printing plate is, in particular, a daylight-sensitive undeveloped printing plate that is preferably from a supply unit (cassette) for printing plates.
The invention furthermore relates to an apparatus for moving, in particular, for transporting, a printing plate into an exposure device (recorder) for printing plates, and after exposure, out of the exposure device, and preferably into a development device (processor). Once again, the printing plate is, in particular, a daylight-sensitive undeveloped printing plate that is preferably from a supply unit (cassette) for printing plates. The apparatus enables the performance of the abovementioned method.
The invention also relates to a supply device (loader) for supplying a printing-plate exposer (recorder) with printing plates that will be exposed, and in particular for supplying printing plates using at least one cassette containing printing plates.
In the production of print-ready printing plates for offset printing, unexposed printing plates are successively fed into a printing-plate exposure device, referred to simply as an exposer or recorder, and are exposed there. That is to say, printing-image information is recorded on the printing plate in the exposer, and the exposed printing plates are discharged. This may take place thermally, for example, using higher-energy laser beams so that the printing plates are daylight-insensitive. Alternatively, the recording can take place, for example, using low-energy laser beams, in a similar way to an exposure of a photosensitive film such that the printing plate is then daylight-sensitive, and after exposure, has to be developed and fixed in a development device, referred to simply as a processor, before it can be exposed to daylight and used for printing.
The sequence of movement of the printing plate into the exposer and out of the exposer is preferably automated. For automatically supplying the exposer with printing plates that will be exposed, a supply device, referred to simply as a loader or autoloader, is docked on an entry side of the exposer. For transferring printing plates out of the loader into the exposer, the loader can also be connected to the exposer, for example, by using a tunnel-like bridge.
In this case, such a loader can store and provide printing plates in one or more cassettes. For transferring the printing plates to the exposer, a cassette can be slightly introduced into the exposer or into the bridge, and the printing plates can then be dispensed individually out of the cassette into the exposer. Storing a plurality of cassettes in the loader has the advantage that, for example, printing plates of different formats can be kept ready and discharged quickly, so that format changes can be accomplished rapidly. At the same time, a cassette does not have to be emptied in each case, but, for example, after the extraction of some printing plates, can be closed again by a cover.
After exposure, a daylight-sensitive printing plate is discharged from the exposer and is transferred into a processor, and this, in turn, may take place, for example, via a tunnel-like bridge on the side of the exposer that faces away from the loader. The loader, exposer, and processor are in this case therefore arranged one behind the other in a row or a processing chain. Such an arrangement is known, for example, from published European Patent Application EP 1 061 019 A. This shows what is known as an outer drum exposer, in which the printing plate is tension-mounted, for exposure, on the outside of a drum. Alternatively, for example, what is known as an inner drum exposer may also be used, in which the printing plate is placed, for exposure, in a semicylindrical trough, such as proposed, for example, in published German Patent Application DE 101 04 415.1.
The known arrangement of the loader, exposer and processor one behind the other requires a relatively large space in terms of standing area. This is known as the footprint, since, in particular, the tunnel-like bridge connection between the exposer and the processor requires a certain amount of length, in order to, despite the connection, sufficiently uncouple the working sequences of the two apparatuses from one another.